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Fish waste is used to produce bioactive peptides and omega-3 fatty acids that are sold as food supplements. Extremophiles are bacteria (and other organisms) that strive under extreme conditions like high temperatures or high salinities. In the (food) industry where biological processes are common, these microorganism have potential and unique properties. Researcher expect that the enzymes inside extremophiles could replace common enzymes used in the industries. Value chains specific to the food sector Figure 0.23: Value chain for the production of functional food from macroalgae Figure 0.24: Value chain for the production of food ingredients Potential products areas currently in research and development stage The research in Europe is aiming at more sophisticated extraction and conversion processes to produce food ingredients. The combination with protein extraction and/or the production of functional food is proposed (examples from the Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands and Wageningen University). Food ingredients like alginate have also large applications in the industry. This industrial grade alginate could also be coproduced by a biorefinery. There are a number of potential products in the food sector that can be derived from macro- and microalgae as shown in Table 0.15 . Table 0.15 Products derived from macro- and microalgae with potential use in the food sector. Product Source Fucoidan Brown seaweed Potential food application and other benefits Fucoidan is also a natural antioxidant and can help improve gut health. Fucoidan also has anti-coagulant, anti-viral, antiinflammatory and anti-tumour properties Fucoxanthin Brown seaweeds and microalgae Fucoxanthin is an antioxidant. Through its metabolites, Fucoxanthin appears to be stored in fat cells for a prolonged period of time. It can induce fat loss while inhibiting fat cell differentiation and proliferation and takes up to 16 weeks to work. Other health benefits include the ability to correct abnormalities in glucose metabolism in muscle tissue, helping diabetics and potentially reducing cholesterol levels. Lectins Codium fragile, Eucheuma and Soleria robusta This protein has several bioactive properties useful in the medical sector, including anti-inflammatory properties, anti-HIV properties, antibiotic and mitogenic properties. It is also involved in the induction of apoptosis, in host-pathogen interactions as well as cell-to-cell communication. Nevertheless, if consumed in excessive quantities this substance may damage the digestive tract. Study in support of Impact Assessment work on Blue Biotechnology 133

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